Broken Heart
by Crazyeight
Summary: On a day that hearts entwine, Takato learns that not all hearts are made whole, and that not all endings are happy.


A/N: I wanted to try something I've never done before and once upon a time swore I'd never do. Sometimes though, one has to experiment. Hope you all enjoy. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Broken Heart

A Digimon Tamers story by Crazyeight

Takato looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, an anxious look on his face that mirrored the heavy banging from his heart.

 _Deep breaths,_ he told himself, hoping to calm himself. It didn't work as well as he hoped it would, lasting for only a second before his heart resumed its anxious drumbeat within his chest.

"This is hard," he muttered. Every time… _Every_ time it was like this. Whenever he would begin to work up the courage to confess to a girl he liked – in this case one Rika Nonaka – he would begin to panic and doubt himself. "Got to stay focused." Glancing over to the side, he grabbed his goggles and tugged them on. They hugged his head tightly causing him to wince slightly before getting used to their pressure. Due to his growth spurt they didn't quite fit him very well anymore, but for now they were just good enough to continue sitting on his head. In a way he was glad, as they had become rather iconic on him to the point where even Rika said that he just didn't look right without them.

He hoped that was a good sign. After all, she was the expert in all things cool and amazing, at least from his perspective. If she thought something didn't look good, she made sure to speak her mind on the subject.

 _Well, she has said that I look goofy and dorky with them on,_ he remembered with a dry chuckle. _Of course, when I tried to change my style she got weird about it._

Takato thought back to that day, remembering the ever-so-slight blush that crossed Rika's face when she brought it up and Terriermon's relentless teasing of _Takato and Rika sitting in a tree._ Not that he ever thought there was anything to it at the time – just some good natured ribbing between friends, but still. When it came to today it served as a confidence booster.

He _hoped_ that was a good sign.

"Are you all right in there, son?" came the voice of his father from outside as he knocked on the bathroom door. Jumping, Takato squawked in surprise.

"Ah! Ah…yeah!" he croaked, and at once he cursed the awkwardness of puberty. "Yeah, everything's fine! I'll be out in a second."

Quickly throwing on the rest of his clothes, he pulled open the door and darted out past his father, who looked at him strangely.

"Heading out or a while!" Takato called back to him, causing Takehiro to cock an eyebrow in surprise as the teen rushed down the stairs.

"Uh… Okay!" he replied, speaking loudly in the hopes that his son would hear him before he left the bakery. "Just make sure you're back before the afternoon shift!"

"I will!" came Takato's distant voice before the side door to the alleyway slammed shut. Takehiro stood there for a moment before shaking his head, wondering just what was going through the boy's mind.

 **###**

"Takato!" Guilmon exclaimed upon seeing his partner burst free from the side door of his parents' bakery. Smiling, Takato went over to his digimon partner.

"Hey, boy," he said. "How's business today?"

The red dinosaur-like digimon grinned a toothy, reptilian grin and slapped his claws on the signs advertising _Guilmon Bread._

"I'm making your parents money!" he chirped.

"So I see," Takato replied, looking at the line forming in front of the bakery. Business had picked up over the last two years, during which they had been able to hire some extra workers to help take the pressure off what had first begun as just a family operation. Nothing major as the extra help were part time workers – some of whom were students Takato went to school with – but it was a start to something that _did_ make things easier for his family.

 _Wow… There are a lot of people today,_ he thought, a part of him wondering if he should call Rika and cancel their get-together – he had asked her to meet him by the Cherry Blossoms earlier in the week, to which she had agreed – and lend his parents a hand. The beating of his heart almost sang in relief at the idea, if only so he could stop torturing it.

"Are you off to meet Rika?" Guilmon asked, noting his Tamers jitteriness in the way he smelled. In addition to being a good tracker, Guilmon's nose was exceptionally good at picking up someone's mood. Takato gave a light laugh.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm…really nervous about it."

"You'll be fine," Guilmon said, hoping to reassure him. "She liked your White Day gift, didn't she?"

"Well…she didn't _dislike_ it…" Takato pressed his lips into one thin line, rubbing the back of his head. Sometimes it was hard to get a read on what was going through Rika's mind. Some days she could be an open book, while on others she became closed off. White Day had been…one of those closed days. Why that was she had never disclosed, nor did Takato pry when she stated that nothing was wrong. Still, it was enough to cast a cloud of doubt over whether or not this whole meeting was a good idea.

 _Confessing to someone changes a lot of things,_ he thought to himself. _What if she doesn't like me back? What then? Will she be okay with us staying friends knowing how I feel about her?_

A thousand what-ifs and maybes played through his mind, but he held firm. For the past year he had nursed these feelings, half of which was spent in denial that they were even there to begin with, and then, upon realization of their reality, hoping that they would just go away in due time – that he was foolish for even harboring them to begin with. He had no business liking Rika in that way.

He was Takato. She was Rika. A son of bakers and a daughter of a world-famous model. Two people from two entirely different worlds. Even though they were friends – perhaps _because_ they were friends – he just didn't see her as having any reason to share the same feelings he did for her.

Yet a part of him dared foolishly to hope.

"I'm sure she did," Guilmon laughed, clapping the teen on the back. "You'd better get going before she complains about you always being late."

"I'm not _always_ late," Takato frowned, but the smile on his wore belied the expression on the upper half of his face. Guilmon grinned at him. "All right," Takato laughed. "I'll see you later, Guilmon."

"Okay! Good luck Takatomon!"

Takato laughed at the in-joke from the digimon's first month in the real world. Newborn and not understanding the difference between humans and digimon… It was amazing how much Guilmon – how much _all_ of them – had changed in the years since their adventures began.

 _One more thing is going to change,_ he thought to himself as he took off at a run. _I can feel it._

 **###**

The pink blossoms of the Sakura trees endowed Shinjuku Park with a lovely glow that made Takato smile. Hanami was in full swing and many people would soon be flooding the area to view the budding trees. He thought back to a time about two years ago when he had been roped into distracting Rika on her birthday by 'asking her out' in a sense to view the Cherry Blossoms – even though, as she pointed out, they were not even in bloom yet.

It had been an all around awkward day that had nearly been ruined by an invading swarm of Parasimon – insect-like digimon who possessed their victims – and in the end he and Rika never did get around to viewing the Cherry Blossoms. Rika didn't seemed to think much of that loss at the time and he supposed she had every reason not to. After all, it had just been a trick meant to keep her from going home too early and spoil the surprise party that had been planned for her.

Yet, ever since, Rika had become…friendlier? He wasn't sure if that was the best way to describe her interaction with him changed. He hadn't noticed it at first, but sometime after his breakup with longtime crush, Jeri Katou, it seemed as though she were more open to him; lending him a listening ear or, at other times, dragging him out of the bakery at the earliest opportunity.

Most of the time, she just seemed content to visit him, even when she had no reason to do so, something that only increased in frequency as they grew older. Like the nearly-ruined birthday party, he hadn't thought much of it, but as time wore on, he sometimes wondered why she was doing that. With that wondering, the seed had been planted, where it blossomed on its own and grew.

Before he knew it, her smile found a spot in his heart where it glowed warmly, bringing a smile of his own every time he saw her and spoke to her. Soon enough, the flower of love opened, catching the boy completely by surprise, leaving him for the longest time confused and, at his worst, hating himself for having the feelings.

 _We're friends,_ he had told himself after Rika left his home one day in annoyed frustration, having failed to tease out what was bothering him. _Friends don't fall for friends._

He continued to tell himself that over the months that followed, but his heart disagreed greatly. The Cherry Blossom in his heart continued to grow under the light of Rika's loving smile, regardless of any protests or rationalizations he would make.

 _I'm such a dork,_ he berated himself, continuing on through the park.

Eventually he found Rika waiting amidst the cherry blossoms and he drew to a halt, his heart skipping a beat as he hesitated.

 _Um… Maybe this was a terrible idea after all,_ he thought, his heartbeat becoming erratic upon resuming its rhythm. She was currently on her phone and hadn't yet noticed him, though it didn't make him feel any better about it. Like him, she had grown over the years, her face losing some of its child-shape as she moved through puberty, becoming more mature. Her red-hair remained in its traditional ponytail, though it now dipped down towards the middle of her back. Though she looked bored – no doubt from having to wait for him – her eyes brimmed with confidence.

 _I need to be confident,_ he told himself. Gathering his courage, he resumed approaching her and gave a small wave. "Hey Rika," he greeted, offering a sheepish smile.

"Took you long enough," she said, locking her phone's screen and pocketing it. An impish smile appeared on her lips now. "The way you were just standing there made me wonder if you had become stuck by a Chuchidarumon or something."

Takato laughed at Rika's reference to the 'Mudmon' of the digital world. "S-Sorry," he replied. I had to take a second to catch my breath."

"So what'd you call me out here for?" Rika asked, opting to cut to the chase. "You said you had something to tell me that you couldn't say over the phone." She tilted her head to one side expectantly, her ponytail swinging slightly like a pendulum, a few strands brushing at her shoulder.

Takato nearly froze again, once more struggling with himself…with his doubts. _This_ was the day he intended to confess, but just as it had been before with Jeri, his nerves tended to work against him.

"Ummm… Well… It's a nice day and everything so…ah…why the rush?"

"Gogglehead." Rika began carefully, her expression becoming mildly amused, though tinged with annoyance. "I'm sorry, but I can't exactly spend the whole day hanging out with you. As much as I'd like to, I have some plans with my family. So unless you have something important…"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Takato laughed nervously, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Just…ah…give me a minute. This…isn't easy for me to say."

Rika looked at him curiously, his statement catching her attention. She seemed to look more closely at him, taking in his nervous chatter and the slight blush that now tinged his cheeks. Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Takato struggled to convey his feelings.

"It's just…well…we've known each other for a while now and…um…I've been wanting to show you how much your friendship means to me…I mean, how much _you_ mean to me…and…ah… I mean…"

"A Gatomon seems to have a death grip on your tongue or something," Rika said sarcastically with a shake of her head. "Come on. Spit it out already. What? Why's this so hard for you to say? Did you fall in love with me or something?"

"Yes."

Takato didn't expect his answer to come out so quickly in response to her question. But then, words were flying out of his mouth so quickly he didn't realize half of what he was saying anyway, nor did he notice the stunned silence Rika had been shocked into.

"I do like you Rika," Takato continued on, not seeing the blush that abruptly bloomed on Rika's face. "I mean, I don't know how it happened or when, but…ah…I do like you. I like you a lot…" He missed the way her body stiffened at that. "…and I was wondering if… How you… um…"

"Takato…" Rika began in a low voice, her eyes beginning to soften.

"…How you felt…about me. I don't…" He coughed nervously, frowning at his feet. "I know I don't…I don't know what I'm trying to say anymore," he rambled before looking back up at Rika. "I just… I like you. Rika. I really do."

He smiled at his friend warmly, hopefully, terrified of her response while wondering what it could be. His red eyes met her violet ones as silence fell between them.

His smile slipped a little as he noticed that she looked saddened by his confession.

"I'm sorry, Takato," she said after a moment, glancing away. "That…means a lot to me but…" She looked back up and met his eyes again, her gaze sorrowful and apologetic. "…I don't feel the same way."

Takato felt his mind go blank for a second, leaving him to wonder briefly if he had fainted on his feet before reality washed back over him. He could feel the blood draining from his face as now it was his turn to tense up in surprise.

"Oh." That word seemed to convey the surprise he felt at her answer. It wasn't unexpected – he certainly spent months believing that this would _be_ the answer he would get – but all the same to hear it in the real world was…shocking to say the least. "Oh," he repeated, looking away. Shifting on his feet uncomfortably once more, he rubbed the back of his head in utter embarrassment. "Okay," he continued, nodding. He wasn't sure what else to say. There didn't seem to be anything _to_ say.

Rika…didn't like him as more than a friend. What else was there?

"Takato?" Rika asked carefully, sounding concerned. "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" Takato blinked in surprise, as he was still in the midst of processing her response. "Oh, yeah. I'm…fine."

He bobbed his head up and down, smiling – a smile that felt oddly plastered to his face. Rika didn't look convinced by his answer, but as she approached him, he took an unconscious step back.

"I…ah…" he stammered, blushing furiously now. "I'd…um… I'd better get back to the bakery. My parents probably need my help and you know how the rush has been getting since Guilmon bread has gotten seriously popular…"

"Takato…" Rika began, frowning at him, but Takato didn't notice. The distance between them felt so… _vast_ now.

"I…" Takato swallowed, feeling a hot, painful lump forming in the back of his throat. "Sorry to bother you," he smiled again. "Have a good time with your family. See you… See you later?"

Rika stepped close to him again and this time, before he could step away, she pulled him into a hug. Takato twitched in surprise, but managed to hesitantly return her embrace, uncertain if she would be fine with it, given the bomb shell he had just dropped on her.

"H-Hey! You don't…have to…" he began, only to stop as she squeezed him all the more tightly.

"You don't have to pretend, Takato," she said quietly. "It's okay."

Takato felt his eyes brim with tears, but he blinked them away.

"There's nothing to pretend about," he lied to himself, wishing he had obeyed his heart and kept his feelings to himself. "You're my best friend. It's fine."

 **###**

Rika didn't keep him long, though whether it was due to her schedule with her mother and grandmother or sensing that he needed to be alone for a while Takato didn't know. Either way, it helped give him some time to try to clear his mind. Walking through the park, he found his way up to an open field with a chain link fence. Blinking, it took him a moment to realize that this was the spot he first met Rika. Their first encounter had been a far cry short of the friendship they would develop, and he was grateful that her animosity hadn't held for very long.

He stood there for a moment, soaking in the memories of that first meeting before continuing on. His legs felt heavy and his head felt as though it were stuffed full of wool. Losing himself in the forest of the park, he wound his way toward a familiar set of stairs just barely hidden by some brush. Climbing the steps, he felt his eyes beginning to burn.

"Get…Get a hold of yourself, Takato," he told himself, shaking his head. "It's nothing. Nothing to be upset about."

His heart, as always, disagreed with his head. Reaching the top of the steps in front of a concrete bunker – Guilmon's first home away from home back from when he had to keep the digimon a secret from his parents – he turned around and set himself down, pulling off his goggles in the process. A lone tear charted the course down his face before dripping onto the step, and was soon joined by others. Takato's shoulders shook as he struggled to hold it back. Struggled and failing.

 _I hurt her,_ he thought, his heart cracking. The cloud over their friendship was there now, just as he feared it would be. She didn't say anything and even tried to comfort him, but he knew it was there all the same. Their friendship would never be the same again, and no matter what, whenever she saw him, the memory of today and his spoken feelings would be there; a silent elephant in the room, marring everything between them.

 _It's all my fault…_

Time passed in silence as he mourned for what was lost, and what might soon be. All his fears spoke openly, refusing to leave him be. How long he didn't know, but eventually he knew he couldn't stay here for much longer. His parents needed him home to help with the bakery. Rubbing an arm across his eyes, he took a shuddering breath. He looked in the direction of the sun as it dipped toward the horizon. The sky was far from the time where it would start glowing orange, but he thought back to that faraway birthday of Rika's. The day he heard her sing for the first time.

 _"You promised me we'd stay for the sunset…"_

"It'll be okay," he told himself, getting back up and rubbing his arm over his face again, sniffing thickly. It was a new promise – a new hope.

He would be Rika's friend. He wouldn't let that dark cloud ruin what lay between them. He would hurt for now, but it would pass.

Strapping his Goggles back onto his head, Takato began to head down the stairs, determined to uphold that new promise no matter what.

He loved Rika. He could do no less for her.

The end.

6


End file.
